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Cendol
Cendol is a very popular traditional dessert across many countries in South East Asia, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thai, just to name a few. Cendol looks like a bunch of tiny green worms, with slightly chewy texture, and very very fragrant due to pandan leaves, which also contribute to the green color. Simplest way to serve cendol is over a bunch of ice cubes (or shaved ice), with some coconut milk, and top with palm sugar syrup. More elaborate versions can include boiled red beans, diced jack fruit, diced agar-agar jelly, diced avocado, etc. But to me, simplest is best.
There are many variety of ways to make cendol, but after trying out so many different recipes, I have settled with this one from Wendy as my go to cendol recipe. First and foremost, you must get a hold of pandan leaves since pandan essence just won’t make the cut. Most Asian groceries should carry them in the frozen section. Next, you will need to procure some mung bean flour and corn starch. Although I give link to buy mung bean flour online through Amazon, I highly suggest visiting your local Asian grocery to get it since the price is typically much lower in a brick and mortar store. I hope you will give this recipe a try and hopefully you will be able to enjoy cendol from the comfort of your home.
Cendol
Ingredients
- Cendol
- 25 gram pandan leaves
- 600 ml water
- 50 gram mung bean flour
- 50 gram corn starch
- Coconut milk
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 1 pandan leaf
- a pinch of salt
- Palm sugar syrup
- 75 gram palm sugar
- 75 ml water
- 1 pandan leaf
- a pinch of salt
- Other ingredients
- ice cubes
- red bean paste (optional)
Instructions
- Cendol
- With a scissor, cut pandan leaves into tiny slivers. With a blender, puree together pandan leaves with water. Strain to get pandan juice, discard the pureed leaves.
- Prepare a large mixing bowl, filled with ice cold water and some ice cubes. Set aside.
- In a sauce pot, stir together pandan juice, mung bean flour, and corn starch until smooth. Turn the heat on to medium, keep stirring the liquid, cook until it becomes thick and smooth (kinda like gluey paste). Turn the heat off.
- Option 1: Pass the pandan paste through a strainer with big holes (about the size of holes in a steamer pot, in fact I use my steamer pot for this) and let the paste drop into the prepared mixing bowl filled with ice cold water. Use a spatula to press the paste through the holes. Let the pandan paste sit in the ice cold water for 15 minutes. Strain and the cendol is ready.
- Option 2: Transfer all the pandan paste into a large zip lock bag and seal. Cut a small hole opening in one of the tip (imagine piping bag), and start squeezing the pandan paste out (you may want to wear mittens to protect your hands) into the prepared mixing bowl filled with ice cold water. Let the pandan paste sit in the ice cold water for 15 minutes. Strain and the cendol is ready.
- Coconut milk
- Boil together coconut milk, pandan leaf, and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat off as soon as it boils. Discard the pandan leaf. Set aside to cool.
- Palm sugar syrup
- Boil together palm sugar, water, and pandan leaf. Turn the heat off once all the sugar has dissolved. Discard the pandan leaf. Set aside to cool.
- To serve
- Place some ice cubes in a serving bowl, pour with some coconut milk, top with some cendol and red bean paste (if using), and pour some palm sugar syrup.
Comments
I miss cendol so much. Never knew it's that easy to make at home! Thanks for the brilliant recipe.
You are welcome Christine :) Yup, they are indeed surprisingly easy to make at home.
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